Live on Sky News. This is Sharry.
Good Evening tonight, the new Liberal leader Susan Lee finally declares expenses paid by the Palestinian Authority. My exclusive. In a moment, this is Andrew Hasty declares he has future leadership ambitions. I'll play you his comments shortly. Plus will cross live to Abu Dhabi, where Donald Trump is on his first official state visit. He's being grilled over that lavish gift of a plane from Saudi Arabia. Surely he's
worried about surveillance. Plus, the director of the grouping new documentary October eighth, will join me to explain how anti Zionism is the new anti Semitism.
Rather than the outrage being directed against those slaughtering the Jews, the outrage was being directed at the Jews for objecting to being slaughtered.
It's a powerful documentary. It's all coming up, but first tonight, an investigation has found the new Liberal leader Susan Lee failed to declare personal expenses paid by the anti Semitic Palestinian Authority. Her office launched an internal investigation after I had discovered in January that Susan Lee had failed to declare accommodation, meals and transport paid by the Palestinian Authority on a trip to the West Bank in twenty eleven.
Other labor politicians who went on that trip did declare gifted meals, transport and accommodation from the Palestinian Authority, but Susan Lee did it. At the time, she was a strong critic of Israel. She demanded Palestinian statehood, accused Israel of occupation, and even sponsored a Palestinian child. But it's her failure to declare expenses that's in breach of parliamentary guidelines.
When I reported this in January, her office told me they'd launched an internal investigation, and today, just one day after she became leader, her spokesman said an administrative oversight occurred whereby Misley's disclosures were not updated to reflect the fact that some accommodation, some meals and ground transfer were
provided by the Palestinian National Authority. In January twenty twenty five, Misslee formally made that declaration to the Deputy Clerk of the Parliament and the Deputy Clerk confirmed the matter was resolved. This is highly embarrassing having to make a declaration to the Deputy Clerk in twenty twenty five for expenses paid by the Palestinian authority fourteen years after her trip, and
only declaring this after our revelations. Treasurer Jim Chalmers this week described the Liberal leadership contest as a of the duds, and it's hard to disagree with him. The reality is that Labour's now sitting on some ninety three seats, the Coalition on forty three. It's an unbelievable fifty seat difference, and of the coalition's forty three seats, only twenty eight are held by the Liberals. The challenge for the Liberal Party is monumental. It's been reduced to a shadow of
its former self. It's a virtual wipeout. They need to regain credibility. They need to regain the trust of Australians. They need to regain the opportunity to govern and to call back upwards of thirty seats. And this simply can't be done with a mediocre or untested politician. It needs an extraordinary talent, a politician who can capture the imagination of Australians, who can connect with voters and convince them
to sup the party. It needs to be a leader with charisma, of standout intellect and someone who's inspiring, who has vision for our nation. There's no one like this at the moment in the Liberal Party and there are no good options currently to lead the party in the House of Representatives. There is only one credible and genuine option if the Liberal Party ever wants to govern Australia again, and that's for the party to convince Josh Friedenberg to
run again. As the Liberals have learned in Victoria against Daniel Andrews at the last election, it doesn't matter how hopeless a government is if the opposition isn't strong, if it doesn't provide a credible alternative, voters won't elect them. And then in terms of funding, which is essential for fighting and winning election campaigns, Freedenburg would be the best bet as well to engage donors and the business community, because right now Liberal donors are currently walking away from
the party. They can't walk away fast enough and you can't blame them who would give their heart earned to this shambles of a party. One Liberal donor described Susan Lee to me as a lemon. That's brutal, But the reality is Susan Lee is a placeholder. She's not the answer. No one believes that the current leader will ever be Prime minister, but her comeback story from resigning in disgrace in early twenty seventeen is quite something. You might recall.
She was forced to resign from the front bench after an expensive scandal where it was revealed she bought an eight hundred thousand dollars Gold Coast investment unit while on a taxpayer funded trip. This scandal emerged on the front page of The Herald's Son whereas it was bild is a big exclusive, and it was, and Susan Lee then resigned, but it later emerged that the entire story was the
work of Labour's dirt unit. Sam Maiden revealed in her book Party Animals that Bill Shoden's dirt unit secretly orchestrated her downfall by leaking a dossier of travel records to newspaper outlets to engineer a political crisis. And Scott Morrison later brought Susan Lee back to the front bench and she's part of his center right faction that's led by Alex Hawk. But the main reason Susan Lee then became deputy leader is that after the Brittany Higgins, Scoundal and
the Me Too movement. There was the perception that the Coalition had a women problem. It was one of the reasons the Coalition lost in twenty twenty two. So Peter Dutton, when he became leader, decided he needed a female as his deputy and there were very limited options in the lower House. They were either new or lower profile MPs, and so it was that Susan Lee was elevated to
the senior role. But there was then a problem with her views on Israel, which were out of step with where the Liberal Party sat and in fact with the Liberal Party's official policy position, and Susan Lee's beliefs belonged in the albert Easy left faction. I reported on this back in January this year. Susan Lay was a pro Palestinian advocate for some fifteen years, at least before she visited Israel for less than a week in late twenty
twenty two and changed her perspective. That visit was after she became the deputy Liberal leader in the wake of the May twenty twenty two election. And here's some of what Susan Lee said. As a lifelong Palestinian advocate.
As someone with a long term affinity for the Palestinians, including co chairing this Parliament's Friendship Group over many years, I wish to highlight the Palestinian perspective. Less than five percent would remember a time without Israeli occupation. I support the Palestinian bid for statehood in part because it will give heart to the ordinary people of the West Bank and Gaza.
And her call there in twenty eleven for Palestinian statehood was even to the left of the Labor Party at the time, but it was the following comments that were the most offensive. The ones I'm about to show you. They're on par or perhaps worse than comments made by both Albanesi and Pennywok. Again, this is from my expose
in January this year. In a two thousand and eight speech, Susan Lay said, and I quote, Israel has many friends in this country and in this Parliament, the Palestinians, by comparison.
Have few.
Theirs. Is not a popular cause, but it is one I support in part out of knowledge that the victors in World War II, including Australia, wrote a homeland check to cover the sins of the Holocaust and centuries of anti Semitism in Europe, but it was the Palestinians who had to cash it. I find that particularly shocking because it feeds into the narrative that the Jews don't belong in Israel, when in fact, Jews are indigenous to the land of Israel and lived there for thousands of years
before Islam was even invented. And then Susan Lee was asked about those specific comments in her press conference yesterday. She now says she had a change of heart after her trip in late twenty twenty two when she became deputy leader of the party, and she said yesterday in her press conference that she now supports Israel but remains a friend of the Palestinian people.
Following my appointment as deputy, I took a trip at the invitation of Julian Lisa, an outstanding colleague and dear friend to Israel, and I spent a lot of time seeing what was happening on the ground and the impact of that trip and the change geopolitical circumstances of the Abraham Accords with Israel reaching out for peace to Saudi to Morocco, and then of course, the hideous events of October seventh in Gaza have changed my thinking on the entire subject.
Now, you heard there that she said that Abraham Accords were one of the reasons she changed her views, but she claimed they were with the Saudis. Well, of course, the Abraham Accords were not with the Saudis. They were with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and Israel is still trying to do a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, and Trump spoke about it just today, And of course the fact that they were on the verge of such a deal is one of the reasons why her mass
attacked Israel on October seven. But the point is, Susan Lee changed her long held criticism of Israel just a year or so before October seven, and she did so in order to be in line with the policy position of the Liberal Party. Now I think it is terrific she visited Israel, that Julian and Lisa took her and that she then changed her perspective, and we need more
people who are open minded like this. But I'm unconvinced she's best placed to lead the Liberal Party after holding views further to the left than Alban Easy and Penny Wong. She's also changed her views on other issues as well, like banning live sheepexpots. She once argued strongly in favor of the ban for animal cruelty reasons, now she supports the trade. This flip flopping has led to accusations she isn't a woman of conviction, that she doesn't know what
she stands for. In The Nightly writes that it was telling that the first note that went to journalists after Susan Lee's victory was to clarify that Susan Lee's last name is pronounced Lee as opposed to lay Letika says that so little is known about the former Deputy leader, who's been in federal politics for a quarter of a century, should be of concern, particularly given that if she survives to fight the twenty twenty eight election, she'll be older than John Howard was at the time of his last
win in two thousand and four.
Now.
Susan Lee also wanted to be Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs when Simon Birmingham retired, but Peter Dutton didn't think she was up to the job. He didn't think she was good enough. Yet she's now the leader of the party. Make of that what you will, but at least twenty five members in the Liberal Party don't have confidence in her, and under her leadership the party will remain divided, there will be no union. Look, she has a tough job ahead of her and we can only wish her luck.
But if the party wants to govern again, if it wants to provide a serious alternative to the Albanezy government, which actually the nation needs for democracy, then Liberal MPs and Liberal senators need to put their own egos aside and do everything they can to beg Josh Friedenberg to run again at the next election. Okay, we've got a lot coming up in the show tonight, the Extraordinary interview
with the director of the documentary a bit later. But now let's bring in former Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger and labor legend Graham Richardson. Welcome to you both. Look, I want to get your reaction to Susan Lee Graham Richardson, You've got to you'd have to agree, Sully that she is a placeholder. She's not someone who provides any threat to Albanezy at all.
I can't imagine her becoming Prime Minister, that's for sure. I don't think that she's got what it takes to attract our votes for that. So I think she's a leader who's temporary. I think she's there till they decide who they want to be leader. The difficulty is, I don't think there's anyone there. I mean, this is just a time when the Liberal Party covered as Bear.
Well, I don't disagree. I mean that's what I've just been saying. So, Michael, do you think they need to look at who is a genuine, credible, talented individual and isn't that Josh Friedenberg.
Well, it's obviously matter for Josh down the track. But can I just say, Shari, and you know my position on Israel, there would be few people as passionate about Jewish and Israeli rights in the Liberal Party than me. I have discussed these matters with Susan Lee not so long ago, and I am in no doubt as to the solidarity she has with the Jewish community and the
people of Israel without necessarily saying it's her view. When people look at the issue from a Zeri knowledge base, you think, oh, yeah, Jewish rights, Palestinian rights, fair enough, Okay, they should have their rights, they should both have land. But the more you look into it. The more times you visit Israel, and particularly her visit in twenty two, the more you understand that this is a country that has for decades had on its borders countries committed to
its destruction. And eventually, over time a peace deal was done with the Egyptians, resolution of conflicts with the Jordanians, but there's no peace deal with Assyrians, the Lebanese or the other Arab countries apart from the four and the Abraham Accords. So the more you know Susan went there and you see the borders, you see how close I mean, Gars is an hour drive from Jerusalem, and when you go there, you get a seat, You get a seat
before she'd been there before, she'd been there before. But the more you look at the issue, the more you understand. And I'm in no doubt whatsoever about the solidity of Susan's views in relation to Israel. I think she fully understands the issue, made that point yesterday, and Jewish Australians should absolutely no concerns whatsoever about her.
Positions now well Andrew has By the way.
There's plenty of politicians have changed their positions over issues. I mean, elbow was opposed to turnbacks on a completely unrelated issue for years. Remember that he didn't want the boats to turn back, and then he changed his vision. So this is not unusual for politicians. Reagan was a Democrat once.
All right, Well, Andrew Hasty clearly has leadership ambitions, and he admitted as much on a podcast today.
Have a look, I'd be foolish to say I don't have a desire to lead.
I do have a desire to lead.
Graham, what do you think? I mean, you've studied political hope fools over decades and decades. Do you think he'd make a good future leader?
Yeah? I do. I don't know the fellow. I've never met him.
You've never met You've never met him.
Now, I've never met him, But I find, you know when I when I look at him on the telly, he looks pretty good to me. Certainly, the guy has a real understanding I think of world issues more certain than a lot of liberals do. And I think he he's the goods. I think he's going to do well in the future. He looks to me like a leader for sure.
What do you think, Michael, do you think Andrew Hasty would be a future leader.
Look, sharing, as Richard knows better than any of us, there's not a single member of the Federal Parliament, in the House of Reps and the Senate who doesn't want to be a leader of their party. I mean, this is an ambition business. You know, find me one.
This isn't about personal ambition. There's sorry to interrupt, but this isn't about personal ambition. There's very few people who have the intellect, the leadership ability to lead our entire nation. And clearly we haven't had those figures, you know, in those positions because well as much as you don't have it with elbow, yeah.
You don't have it with elbow and charmers right elbow. You know, he's got an economics degree, he's got no in to the economics, and Gym's got a degree in Paul Keating. I mean that these are not these are not serious economic managers, which is why the debt level in this country is out of control and we've got deficits for thirty five billion. Until you know into the Nevin. Ever, Susan Lee's got a master's degree in in tax and accounting.
So don't underestimate the elect of this woman and all these women out there, all or left women criticizing her. I mean, you're talking about intellectually gifted person in Susan Lee. And if label want to fight her on tax on super good's, that's the Liberal Party's number one brand equity on tax. So if Albo and Charmers want to fight Susan on that, well, good luck.
I think the point is for people who are extremely unhappy with the alban Easy government and with the Prime Minister himself. We've covered that at length on this show, there needs to be an extremely strong leader of the Liberal Party otherwise they will never get back into power richer. Would you agree with that? I would never, but at least for the next six years. Anyway, they need to win back fifty seats.
Yeah, it's going to take a while, hopefully a long while. It is going to It is going to take a while. There's an awful lot of ground and makeup. I mean, I don't think people quite understand just how bad this election result has been. They're in strife that the rules. I mean, they'll get out of it. I'm not one of those doomsday sayers. The Liberals will certainly recover and they'll be back in government. But how long And I've got a feeling it's going to be quite a while.
Yeah, well, if they don't mustle up and get a proper leader in place, it will be at least a decade. It's extraordinary.
Well, they've got a proper letter and don't underestimate it. The Whitlam government lasted three years? How long did Campbell Newman last? He won what ninety percent of the seats and was gone. You know, tony one and thirteen will almost gone in sixteen.
This gover will be about as Whitlam.
Michael, Well, I mean I think they're appalling, and you know I keep saying and let's let you know, we're adults in this show and people watching, so let's let's not bet around the bush. Labour didn't win because of their positive plan for the future. They don't have a
positive plan future. They won because in eight weeks they ran a brilliant, nasty, dirty campaign attacking Peter Dutton's personal credibility, which is what Labor best at, and preyed on elderly Australians by convincing that their Medicare cards would be stolen from them under Peter Dutton and Urgent Care clinks would be closed and Medicare funding would be slashed and burned, and the nuclear was going to cost six hundred billions.
And seriously, it was built on the Titians and it was built on a tissue of lies.
Let's be honest fort the young vote by promising to pay off. Of course, Hex stats.
Well, sixteen billion dollars, sixteen billion dollars to people who are going to earn a huge amount of money when when they're older and people are at university now don't get the benefit and what being paid for by tradespeople and nurses and teachers are having to pay off these debts. I mean, that's just improper. I mean, it's bad politics and it's bad policy, and it's costing a sixteen billion.
I'm going to get to this fascinating story. It's a new book that covers Joe Biden's mental decline and it has details on that fundraiser. You remember when Jeorge Clooney finally admitted that Biden wasn't the man to leave the Democratic Party. Now, in this book, it says that Joe Biden didn't recognize George Clooney backstage before the event, and he even needed an aid to remind him who he
was Richo. I mean, if this is true, and you expect it is, it's written by a CNN journalist, where does the effort to hide Biden's mental decline rank in the great political cover ups? I mean, that's unbelievable.
Oh, it's right up there. There's no doubt about that. I mean, poor old Joe, he didn't know what room he was in. Literally, literally the leader of the Free will didn't know where he was half the time. I mean, it was a really dangerous situation, I think for the world, and I'm delighted in the end that he resigned that. You know, we've got a different a different government, and it's I think going to be a better one. I mean, even though Trump's not so's my fan favorite, I none
the less recognize that Trump's some real abilities. I Mean one of the things that he is that you could never accuse Biden of is his decisive He'll make up his mind, he'll make decisions. Biden just wanted to put him in the bottom drawer and hope they'd go away, but they don't.
You know what, Well, there's one thing I can say about you, rich Or. Your comments never ceased to surprise. It didn't think you'd be sitting here saying that Trump's current administration was better than Biden's. I mean, you hated Trump every week he said you'd prefer Kamala Harris. Now you're saying he's running a good presidency.
I think, Look, I think I've got a responsibility to have a look at things and judge them not by what God thought in the past, but by what's happening in front of me.
Good on you. I appreciate that ability to change your mind, and I'm glad I'm pleasing it. At least run Australian over here.
I have to say, though, Shari Jake Jake Tappa has a nerve to write this book. He was one of the biggest apologists before election for Biden. He went, there's a million Internet clips of his on his show where he's criticizing the Republicans and anyone else that said Biden's in mental decline. He was a ferocious, ferocious defender of Biden's mental capacity. You play them will be gob smecked at the Shia ghul of this bloke. No wonder, no one, what's your CNN could point.
Indeed, all right, Michael Kraigi, Graham Richardson, Great to see you, and they're are regular Wednesday panel. Well, let's turn now to the Middle East. So Israel has launched a strike targeting himasa's top leader in Gaza. His name is Mohammed Sinhwa and he's the brother of Yaya Sinha, who was the mastermind behind October seven and he was killed last year. Now, Israel's air strike hit an underground HIMASK command and control facility,
but it's unclear whether Mohammed Sinhwa has been killed. This comes as there are now reports Israel as preparing a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip in order to bring home the remaining hostages, and that's said to begin as soon as Trump's visit to the region ends on Friday. Well from all, let's bring it now, Israeli TV news anchor Littao Schameesh Littel, great to see you again. Look what can you tell us about what Israel is reportedly planning in Gaza.
Hi Cheri, Well, thank you for having me so at the moment. Yesterday, one American Israeli hostage, I Don Alexander, got released with a deal the trop has made with Hamas need to be said without Israel including in the talks with Kamas. At the moment to Israel is planning to go on a wider operation in the Gaza Strip starting.
The upcoming Sunday.
So Israel has recorded reservist tens of thousands of reservists and it's about to launch a wider range operation in the Gaza Strip in order to pressure Commas to release more hostages. We're talking at the moment about twenty live hostages and an estimation of another thirty hostages for dead. And that's the plan.
So this is Donald Trip's first official foreign visit apart from the Vatican. But he's not visiting Israel, even though he's in neighboring countries. How has this been received by Israelis and by the Israeli government.
Yeah, so I have to tell you it's a weird few incidents that are occurring in the recent few weeks. So Trump is closing a ceasefire with the Hoteis in Yemen whilst the Hoodies are keep firing bisals in Israel.
He's about to close a few with Saudi.
Arabia without asking or including Israel in some sort of anormalization with the Saudis, and just an hour ago he's been meeting the leader of Syria, signing or hoping to sign a peace agreement with Syria and include them into the abram Accords.
And no one in the Israeli.
Government up to this stage has to die the fact that it asked Donald Trump not to leave down the sanctions of Syria. So Israel is kind of asking itself what is going on. But on the other hand, we need to remind ourselves that Donald Trump is a man of closing deals and in the Middle East, at the end of the day, it's told about interest and joint interest.
And if you can get Syria to take down their weapons, even for a temporary few years, and to create some sort of peace agreement with Israel, that would be a blessing to Israel. And to remind you know, the viewers who are viewing us, we have a peace agreement with Jordan, we have a peace agreement with Egypt.
It's not a warm peace agreement. It's not a warm piece.
It's joint interest. It's a lot of money involved, it's a lot of interest over water regarding the Jordanian border. So they're recognizing Trump's strength, They're recognizing Trump's will need to bring into bring in.
Saudia money into this area.
So Israel at the moment is just holding or waiting to see what will be the outcome of all of this.
Yeah, I think giving him the benefit of the doubt for show the tealshamesh thank you very much, appreciate that update. And later in the show we'll cross to a CNN reporter who's in Abu Dhabu for just what negotiations Trump is engaging in as well. Now still to come, going to in Chris Bowen thinks the election outcome is an endorsement of his radical green policies. Adam Crichton will be
here to discuss. Plus, the director of the gripping new documentary co produced by Hollywood star debraah Messing sat down with me to explain how anti Zionism is the new anti Semitism that's next Welcome back. Well, I wasn't here hosting last night because I saw a preview screening of a powerful and confronting new documentary. It's called October eight,
directed by Wendy Sack. Now it is going to be in Australian cinemas in the next few weeks and I really hope that we'll be able to show you the film as well here on Sky News, and we'll keep you updated with that. But here was one powerful point in the documentary that really resonated with me.
Less than twenty four hours ago.
On the lands, from the sea and from the air, the people.
It was October eighth.
There were still homos terrists in communities in southern Israel. There was still fighting going on. Israel was still counting the numbers of the dead and the mutilated, and the raped and the kidnapped. And there's a protest against Israel Times Square. Rather than the outrage being directed against those slaughtering the Jews, the outrage was being directed at the Jews for objecting to being slaughtered.
The outrage directed at the Jews for objecting to being slaughtered. It's such a compelling comment. And I'll never forget the total confusion I felt when those pro Palestinian marches with tens of thousands of people took place around the world right after October seven. I still don't understand it. And the documentary partly examines the forces behind that movement, and director Wendy Saxis here in Australia and I spoke with
her a little earlier. Wendy's so great to finally meet you here in Australia.
Welcome, Thank you so much for having me.
Now, what made you decide to make this film and how early on did you realize something like this needed to be, Doctor Hu manded.
Really, it was on October eighth that I saw what was happening in Times Square in New York, in Australia, when I saw what was happening in front of the Sydney Opera House, in the streets of London, where we saw Hamas being celebrated as freedom fighters rather than being condemned as terrorists, and we saw what was happening on
college campuses. On October eighth, you had thirty student groups at Harvard had signed onto a letter blaming Israel for the attack on itself, as if Israel had it coming. And we saw that at campus after campus after campus, there was so much hostility pointed at Israel, but where Israel had even retaliated. But it was that mixed with the silence coming from the world, silence coming from Hollywood, silence coming from women's rights organizations, and from you and women.
It was that combination and silence from groups that, by the way, speak out of every other social injustice, but didn't have the words to speak out about the Brew mentality that the Israelis had just based about women being reaped and tortured and kidnapped and mutilated. But it was that combination that made me. I knew that I needed to create this film. So it was within two weeks of October seventh that I got to work, I wrote a treatment, and I started booking people for the film.
Wow, I mean, it's incredible that it was that early on. I mean we were all around the world, as you say, even in Australia with those protests on the steps of.
The opera house.
You know, any reasonable, reasonably minded Australian and certainly the Jewish community was still grieving from October seven, and then we couldn't understand why there was this protest movement against Israel, against the victims that was arising around the world. Now, one of the things you delve into in your documentary is the power of the social media algorithms.
Can you tell us a bit about that.
What we exposed in the film is that these algorithms are being manipulated, manipulated by foreign actors in Iran, in Russia and China, that these are not authentic. There are bot farms that are controlling what people are seeing, what
young people are seeing on TikTok. We show this sort of fifty four to one ratio, fifty four being the pro Palestinian pro Hamas hashtags that are coming out versus the pro Israel or anything that's sympathetic to Israel hashtags, and we can see that it really varies between TikTok and Instagram and the other platforms, so we know that it's not authentic.
We know to explain that when you say fifty four to one, you're saying for.
Everyone, for everyone's pro is that's right for every one, for everyone hashtag that's pro Israel, there are fifty four times pro Hamas pro Palestinian hashtags being being sent out, And so what young people are seeing, those who are you on TikTok, they're seeing just a distorted amount of content that is really presenting the pro Hamas pro Palestinian narrative,
and it's just not authentic and it's being controlled. And we know that foreign actors are trying to atomize the American population, not just in America, by the way, but I would argue throughout the West that there's someone who has, you know, their finger on the scale countries who want to separate populations. We saw this with the twenty sixteen campaign in America, the presidential campaign. We see it around
the world and all sorts of conflicts. It's not just the Israeli Palestinian one, but we know that there really is a foreign influence and there's a there's a there's a reason that they're targeting young people. There's a propaganda campaign that's out there and it's distorting the reality. It's making young people believe, you know, mistruths about actually what's happening.
One of the things that I think way need to do a better job in the media of explaining is you know this idea and a lot of anti Semites do it. They say, oh, no, we're not expressing anti Semitism, this is just anti Zionism.
And that was one.
Of the themes you explode as well, that actually the two are now largely indistinguishable.
That's right.
So what we show in the film is that anti Semitism has morphed over the generations, and the latest form of that is a fanatical anti Zionism. And so make no mistake, anti Zionism is anti Semitism. Delegitimizing the state of Israel is anti Semitic. When you exclude Israel, when you make Israel the prie state among nations, that is anti semitism. And we're not talking about politics. We're not talking about arguing against the policies of the Bbnatan Yahoo government.
This is not what this is about. The film is not political. The film is not litigating the war. The film is explaining what anti semitism is today, and that is anti Zionism.
Of course, because when we hear phrases like from the River to the Sea, I mean that's saying that there should be no Jews at all in Israel, which is the main message that's being perpetuated.
That's right.
And you hear those chants on college campuses, I would be standing in groups, mobs, at protests at Columbia University at MIT, and what you're hearing is they're chanting for one state, one state, we want it all nineteen forty eight, that's what they're chanting. They're not saying we want peace, they're not saying we want two states.
You know, we would have.
No film if that's what these students were chanting at these rallies. But they're saying we want it all River to the sea, we want it all.
That means no Jews.
You did a really beautiful You had a really beautiful chat with Sarah Murdock at the first screening the sneak pick of your documentary last night, and she asked you about your message of hope at the end. I have to say, I really struggle to see you know.
Where this ends.
It feels like it's just the beginning of a new way of anti Semitism that's been such a shock for all of us. Why do you feel hopeful? Why is there any reason for any of us.
To feel hopeful.
I know that it feels really dark and bleak and grim, and there's been a lot of anti semitism here in Australia. Firebombings of synagogues and daycare centers, graffiti.
Swastikas, all of it kill the Jews. It can feel really dark.
What gives me hope are the young people, and we highlight so many young people in the film, and these young people are extraordinary. They have such a strong sense of identity, they knew who they are. They're speaking out, they're being vocal, they have a moral clarity and a courage about them.
They give me hope.
But we also end the film on allyship, because let's be clear, this is not just about the Jews or the state of Israel. In fact, I would argue it's not about that at all. It begins with the Jews, but it doesn't end with the Jews. We are talking about jihadism and extremism democracy in the West.
That's the big issue here, and.
We need our allies, and we end the film on our allyship with the Black community, and the Christian community, and the Evangelical community, in all the indigenous community, all of the various communities.
We can't fight this alone.
And I know, and I am optimistic and I am hopeful that outside of the Jewish community, we have allies who want to also fight down this hate because they know that it's not just about the Jews. It's about something much bigger.
It's about all exactly.
It's about the values on which our Western democracy, our civilization is built on. Wendy, I have to congratulate you on such a powerful film, so confronting to watch, but every moment of it was truly gripping.
Thank you for being here, thank you so much for having me.
All right, And as I said a bit earlier, the film will be in Australian cinemas in the next few weeks and we also hope to show it here on Sky News. And I'll keep you updated when all of that happens so you can see it for yourself. Now still to comm we'll cross live to Abu Dhabi for the light on Donald Trump's trip to the Middle East, from the deals he's signing to those extravagant gifts, plus Chris Bowen's gloating over the election outcome. I'll talk about
that with Adam Crichton after this quick break. The Coalition is currently debating whether to keep or drop its net zero emissions target. Now, Chris Bowen says Australians have backed in his Green agenda.
Despite some of the rhetoric and the Arji Barjie. There was a swing to the Labor Party pretty much in every offshore wind seat. I take that then, that as well as an endorsement, as I said in an op ed today by Silent Majority, to say keep going, get on with the job.
Well, joining me now is the Institute of Public Affairs chief economist Adam Crichton. Adam Chris Bowen sees this election outcome as an endorsement of his personal policies, despite the fact that Labour's primary is still only thirty four percent. Now the coalition seems to be undecided on their energy policy. What would you say other pros and kinds of keeping net zero?
Well, the pros are that it is momentarily popular. Certainly, if you did a survey of the community, I think most people would say that they like the idea of net zero, and that's probably because they think net zero means no pollution. But of course you know the emissions, the carbon dioxide is not a pollutant. Sadly, that's what the general public thinks. But I think as time goes on, I think public opinion is going to change. It's already
changing in Europe. You're seeing in Germany, you're seeing in the UK, you're seeing a lot of skepticism about net zero. The reality is net zero might sound a nice idea, but it's an extraordinarily huge tax on the Australian economy. It's a much much bigger tax, say than the Trump tariffs, which we've all got so exercised and upset about. You know, it's basically destroying our manufacturing. It's putting up energy bills. You know, we have solar and wind in Australia and
it's much easier to introduce it. But the more you introduce the more costly that it becomes. And I think they're reaching that point now in Australia where it's getting harder and harder to roll more of it out without the serious risk of blackouts. And I think Chris Bowens made a judgment, you know, very cynical political judgment that in the next three years it's still going to be popular. But I would guarantee that in the next six years
or nine years, it's not going to be popular. It's going to be very costly and it's going to wreck the Australian economy. So I would say the coalition should, you know, should dump it now and should get ahead of public opinion. Plus they'd have something to take to the next election because the last election they really didn't have much to take that was distinct from labor.
And somewhere in the Nationals are saying it should be dumped and there's already disagreements emerging between the Nationals and the Liberal Party. Of course, the Nationals did outperform the Liberals in the election, and now they're also demanding more portfolios, better portfolios. Here was National Senate Leader Bridget mackenzie stoking some of these flames a bit earlier.
In our one hundred and twenty year history.
For sixteen of those years we held the treasury portfolio in government. So I think there needs to be a very serious conversation heading into any coalition discussions about the role of the National Party.
On portfolio primarily or policy or both.
Well, I think this is a partnership that has to work for both parties.
It's just going to be a mess for the coalition. They're not going to agree on policy and now it looks like they might demand the treasury portfolio.
Well it's a reasonable request. I think the reality is just the raw numbers in the Parliament, in the Senate and the lower House, or that the Nationals are a much more powerful political force than they were relative to a Liberal Party, so they may have to give up. They may have to give up that position. And you know, personally, I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. The National Party were well ahead on the issue of the voice. They came out against it first. They dragged the Liberals
into that position. I think that's full credit to them. And I think, you know, he may not have won the leadership Matt Canavan, one of the regulars on your show, but he, you know, he appears to have pushed the National Party into dumping that zero. I think that's the right view, as I was just saying, and I think it may it may cause the Liberals to dump that as well. So I think, you know, in the national interests, you know, you full credit to the National Party for
you know, for leading the debate on these things. And you know, if there's not unity in the coalition for the next year or so, does that does that really matter? I mean, let's you know, let's see a debate. Let's let's see an intellectual debate on these very important issues. The problem at the last election is the major parties basically agreed on everything substantive.
Just finally, Adam, it looks like Jim Chalmers is going to legislate labors super attacks. A Legras spender has come out and said, you know, an appeal to not do this. Poul Keating has as well. Do you have concerns over this policy?
Yeah, look, it's extraordinary, is it. I mean Paul Keating would be considered a far right figure I think now in Australian political seeing the Labor Party, you know, there's moved so far to the left. This is a terrible tax as es. Actually the unrealized gains component, it's not going to be index three million dollars is the threshold at the moment that's been specified. You know, it's just
so depressing that, you know, we have bracket creep. The government has bracket creek every year, which gives it three five billion dollars of extra tax every year. But that's still not enough.
They need to legislate this other tax.
So look, I hope it doesn't happen. I hope, And this is just my personal view that maybe the Liberals can negotiate with Labor to pass a less bad tax than Labor negotiating with the Greens to get it through the Senate. But the Greens may well insist that the threshold has to be two millions. So look, that's for the parties to decide. But it's a terrible tax. Let's hope it doesn't.
Happen, all right, Adam Crichton, thank you so much, appreciate your time. After the break, will cross live to Abu Dhabu with a CNN journalist covering Trump's Middle East trip and why he's not going to Israel. That's next. Well to the Middle East now, where US President Donald Trump has begun his four day tour and Trump has announced a sweep of major deals. He's lifted sanction on Syria, quite controversial, and a nine hundred and twenty seven billion
dollar investment with Saudi Arabia. He's also defended his decision to accept an extravagant plane. Have a look.
Some people say, oh, you shouldn't accept gifts for the country.
My attitude is, why wouldn't I accept the gift? That was an interview with Sean Hannady on Fox News. We're joining me now as CNN reporter Paula Hancock's Paula, thank you so much, Really appreciate your time. Look, what is the main purpose of Trump's four day trip to the Middle East. It is his first official state visit after the Vatican.
Well, shre what we were expecting is pretty much what we have seen so far, and that is that the US presidents wanted to secure some significant investment deals into the United States. We were expecting some i watering figures. That is what we have had from Saudi Arabia in agreeing to invest in defense, also in AI, in technology, and we saw some of the CEOs of the biggest tech companies in America and Saudi Arabia all convene to hear Donald Trump and also the Crown Prince speak in
a Saudi US investments forum. That was always going to be the key for the US president to get those big deals secured. But what we have seen, which is the most significant and a significant shift in US foreign policy, is Donald Trump deciding that he is going to plan to lift sanctions on Syria. He also in just recent hours met with the president dakhmedal Sharah, the Syrian president who ousted Vashar al Assad at the end of last year.
He met him in Riad and he spoke to him for over half an hour and he said after that meeting that he is exploring the possibility of normalizing relations with Syria. So this is a very significant development. It is something that Saudi Arabia and Kata wanted the US president to do. We know that Saudi Arabia and KATA have both paid about fifteen million dollars of debts to the wto that Syria had. We know KATA is paying public sector wages to try and get Syria back on
its feet. So this was a really key decision by the US presidents that Saudi and Kata and of course Syria were really hoping for on this trip.
Sure, and of course the Syrian president is a farmer Islamic extremist figure, you know, whose treatment of many Syrians when he did overthrow the Asad regime was quite brutal. So there's some criticism of the president therefare for having that long meeting with him. Paula Tramps also have been criticized for not visiting Israel on this tour. What his explanation for missing Israel when he's in neighboring countries.
He was asked about it and he said, Israel will be a country I will visit, just not on this trip. The general assumption is that these three countries that he's visiting, the Golf Nations are easy wins for him. There will be no protests, there's no contentious meetings with leaders that he has to worry about, and he will be treated like a king as he was in Saudi Arabia, with
all the pomp and ceremony that goes with it. He had some significant deals to announce in these three countries, and we're expecting more from Kata and the UAE in the coming days, but he doesn't have that in Israel at this point. He has not secured the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which he had claimed credit for at the beginning of his term, that since has collapsed, and so certainly that could be one reason why he has
decided not to visit Israel on this particular tour. It will be noticed quite keenly in Israel, though, especially considering the fact he has now just dropped sanctions with Syria, he has met the Syrian president, which Israel desperately did not want him to do either of those things. And there are a number of issues ongoing at this point where the US seems to be going it alone rather than conferring closely with Israel. So there will certainly be a lot of concern in that country.
Yeah, indeed, Paula Hancocks, I really, really appreciate you taking the time to speak with us tonight. Thank you so much. And she's right there. A lot of curious moves from Donald Trump. Let's see where it ends up, all right, Well, thank you so much for your company tonight. I'll see you tomorrow at eight o'clock. And right now here is poor Mary.